Lara In Portal Land
by ExtremeRainbowRaiderPrincess
Summary: Karel. Sephiroth. Not the two you want working together in some evil plot to control two worlds, but they are. Now it's up to two teams, in those two worlds, to stop those bad guys.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: The OC's are mine, and nothing more. Everything else belongs to someone else.**_

_**A/N: Okay, so I accepted a challenge KittenKez had posted on her profile page and this is what I wrote. Thanks go out to KittenKez. Enjoy!**_

* * *

_Secret Base…_

Several armed guards marched down a dimly-lit hallway as a dark figure watched from the shadows. He waited until they were gone before dashing down the hall from which they had come from and hurrying into a forgotten lab.

Firing a computer up, the figure began searching for something before smiling and whispering, "Excellent".

He typed in a command before hurrying into an airlock.

While the door slid shut behind him, he removed the hood from his coat.

Genesis smiled evilly as the door in front of him opened and he walked into the giant freezer.

He searched row upon row for something before reaching a large sheet-covered object.

"Finally, after all this time, I can start everything over." He said as he pulled the sheet down.

The clear, smooth slab of rock shined as he reached out to touch it.

Suddenly it began to glow and he backed away as the stone shimmered before releasing a whirling vortex of light.

"NO!" He screamed.

A loud screech filled the room, shattering vials around Genesis as he covered his ears.

In the light, he could see many events play out, but one made him freeze.

Sephiroth… Marching into the lab he had been standing in moments ago… Then going into the freezer… And using the stone.

He watched his old friend be engulfed by the light before reappearing in another realm.

Suddenly the portal snapped shut and Genesis stared at the rock, saddened to see that it had a large crack running through it, but he was also glad he wasn't still seeing those images.

"_Well done…"_ He heard an ethereal voice say as he looked around before putting the sheet back on the rock and hurrying out of the freezer. He didn't want to find out who had been talking right then.

* * *

_South Africa..._

Outside a café, Karel sat, drinking Chai tea and eating a cookie. He was waiting for a phone call…

RING... Karel answered his phone without checking the caller ID. "I see you found your way out of the Lifestream." Karel stated.

Sephiroth chuckled. "It was not that much of a challenge." Sephiroth said.

Karel hummed. "Then we will have more work to do. Has ShinRa discovered the location of the stone yet?"

"No," Sephiroth said. "They will wait until someone else does."

"Hmm… Yes, I see their logic. Now, I must ask a favor of you." Karel said this as he watched a couple with their dog walk by him.

Sephiroth hummed in thought. "Go on."

"I need you to bring an old acquaintance of mine to a small town out in the middle of the desert." Karel explained, watching another couple walk by.

"Here?" Sephiroth asked him.

"No. On Gaia."

* * *

_The Base_

The guards marched back down the hall just as a small item was tossed into the hallway.

Smoke filled the hallway and soon the soldiers passed out.

Genesis sighed in relief. Releasing a small amount of sleeping gas, mixed with Mako so that it wouldn't affect him, was an easy escape plan.

He calmly marched down the hall, pondering how to remove the stone from the building. He needed to contact the one Mr. Zachary Fair looked after…

* * *

_London, England_

The roar of a motorcycle sounded before a familiar black motorcycle shot up the streets of London.

"ZIP!" Lara yelled under her helmet. "Call the hangar! Tell them to get the jet ready!"

"Trouble?" Zip asked.

"Who knew that buying Winston the gold-plated tea tray he's wanted for a while for his birthday would result in a gaggle of old women chasing after me?"

"It's not that hard to fathom." Patricia Saes, a fellow tomb raider, said as Zip muttered something in the background that sounded like, "Probably 'cuz your aunt was one of them!" before she heard what sounded like a newspaper hitting Zip. "Bad Zip!" Trish scolded.

She was right.

"This is not the time for games you two!" She snapped, going even faster. "Zip- The jet?"

"Fueled and ready to go, Lara. Just waiting on you." Zip explained.

"Wonderful. Tell them to start the engines and leave the cargo door open." Lara said as Zip groaned.

"Lara, you know that normal people don't do that sort of thing, right?" Zip asked her.

"Actually, my brother-" Trish started to say.

"Your family isn't normal, Trish." Zip reminded her.

* * *

_Croft Manor… One Of The Other Ones… Not The Damaged One…_

Zip, Lara's faithful and amused tech expert, called the airport while Trish went into the kitchen.

Trish was partially Lara's apprentice, but was more of an employee. Though Lara didn't have a crystal ball to see what was coming up during her missions, between Zip, Trish, and other contacts, she was as prepared as she could be.

"Winston, Lara should be on her way back within a little while. Got anything that you really need Zip or I to get for your dinner plans?" Trish asked as she leaned in the doorway.

Winston shook his head. "No, I have everything I need. Is Lara all right?" He asked her with concern.

Trish smiled. "Of course she is. She's just… Hit a problem in her schedule. That's all." She said with a small shrug.

"The tea tray was that hard to find?" Winston asked with a raised eyebrow.

Trish's eyes widened. "Em… Erm… I'm not at liberty to say…" Trish said, chuckling nervously as she backed away.

Winston sighed. "I'll take that as a yes. Oh well, there's always Christmas…" He said, disappointed, as he returned to preparing dinner.

"Hey! Trish, you gotta see this! I've got satellite images of Lara heading for the airport!" Zip shouted, giving Trish a reason to leave the kitchen.

"Sorry Winston." Trish apologized, and lied, before turning and running back for the tech room. "What's happening now?" Trish shouted while Winston grinned evilly. He replaced the earpiece in his ear and continued listening in on the tech room.

* * *

_London…_

Soon Lara reached the airport as the plane started down the runway. Lara gunned the engine, speeding towards the back of the plane, before zipping in.

Someone closed the door as Lara sighed and removed her helmet. "Well, I should do that more often." Lara said as she got off the bike.

"Please, no." Zip groaned.

Lara fastened her bike down onto its designated spot before removing her backpack, not her usual backpack either. This backpack was larger and padded to keep the item inside of it safe. Inside was a gold-plated tea tray for Winston's birthday, and it was in perfect condition.

"Winston is going to love this." Lara said, inspecting the monogrammed tray. _To Winston: Dearest Friend_.

"Lara, remember that little screen I included on your headset?" Zip asked her.

"Yes." Lara said, now a little suspicious.

"Put it up. Something you should see."

* * *

_Croft Manor…_

"Joachim Karel," Zip said, pressing a button on the computer before the screen filled up with a picture of Karel on vacation in Hawaii... Wearing his normal suit.

Lara's breath grew silent as Zip stood next to Trish. Right then, Lara should be able to see only the computer screen.

"Why are we dealing with him?" Trish asked him as she viewed the file on him. "Is it his fashion sense for on the beach? Are we the fashion police now?"

Zip pointed at something in the file. MISSING, it stated at the top of the page. "He disappeared a number of years ago before popping up yesterday in South Africa. He was asking around, mostly asking questions about how often Lara visited the area."

As Winston entered the room, carrying a tray of cookies and tea, Lara's breathing resumed.

Winston frowned. "Why does he look so familiar?" He muttered, putting the tray down as Zip and Trish thought it over too.

"Hmm… Why am I thinking of turkey sandwiches right now?" Trish wondered.

* * *

_London_

_They never saw him!_ Lara thought in alarm. _Trish, Winston, Zip- They have no idea what I saw while in Prague! Dear Lord, what does he want?_

"Hey," Zip asked the silent Lara. "You okay?"

Lara exhaled. "I'm fine, just trying to remember if I have seen him before." She lied.

Zip hummed. "If you think of anything…"

"I will tell you." Lara said.

Lara said her goodbye's before severing the link, covering her face with her hands.

"Karel. Joachim Karel is still alive. No, God, why?" Lara said to herself, glumly seated in the back of the plane.

* * *

_Croft Manor_

"Is Lara okay?" Trish asked Zip.

Zip sighed before crossing his arms. "Ever since Alister died it's like she's been living in a bubble. I swear, if she gets any worse, I'm calling a therapist for her." Zip warned, looking at the screen again. "Where has she seen him before…" He wondered as Winston left the tech room.

"HI-YAH!" Winston started doing kung fu near the dormant fireplace, moving like an older ninja would. The other two looked at him in alarm, worried about him.

"Coffee." Trish muttered.

"Maybe we need to start off with Winston having some therapy… " Zip said wryly as Trish watched, wincing when Winston hurt his back.

"Looks like it." Trish said.

* * *

_Seventh Heaven…_

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

4 PM. That was the time it was in Edge.

Many people milled about the bar, but only one knocked his knuckles on it and waited until the black-haired woman came over.

"Can I help you?" Tifa asked him.

Genesis smiled at her. "Yes, I believe so. You see, I am looking for a Cloud Strife. Do you know him?"

Tifa grew tense before giving him a nervous smile. "Is everything okay? Did a relative of his get hurt or something?"

Genesis shook his head. "No, not at all. I just have a business proposition for Mr. Strife."

She nodded. "Okay, I'll call him. I have to warn you; he'll probably say no." She said.

Genesis laughed. "I know, but I think he will find this offer most interesting."

* * *

_Review, please. I would love to know what you thought of it. Flamers will be ignored._


	2. Chapter 2

**_Disclaimer: I own the OC's and that is it. Oh, and I do not own Mr. Judas, because he is a character from the FFVII universe that is using an alias. And don't even think about asking me if I own Edward, because I do not and you know it._**

**_A/N: Well, here is the next chapter. I am so excited to be getting this story underway. :) Too much Nitro Circus watching helped fuel this chapter. Also- This chapter is more Tomb Raider than FFVII. The next chapter will be the opposite, fortunately._**

* * *

_Paris__..._

Karel finished sending the coordinates to a drop zone over his phone to Sephiroth before holding the phone to his ear once more. "Do you think you can succeed in bringing them to the assigned location?"

Sephiroth chuckled. _"Of course."_ He said.

"One last thing," Karel said, his eyes narrowing. "Do not let one Kurtis Trent find you or them. If he does, then our covers are blown."

Sephiroth laughed darkly. _"Like anyone can find me."_ He said ominously, hanging up.

Karel smiled as he turned his phone off. "Excellent. Now, I finally have a business partner who shares the same mindset as I do."

How in the world did he forget about everyone's favorite immortal?... No, not Edward. Eckhardt!

Standing, he paid his bill. Turning, he left the café and melded with the crowd, disappearing from the Parisian streets- Seriously.

* * *

_In Some Dark, Creepy Cave..._

In some dark, creepy cave- Not Lucrecia's cave- Vincent… Well, lurked. Did he do anything else when not fighting? He was waiting for something.

Reports had been showing up for the last month that what could only be described as blue-white vortexes had been dropping in. By dropping it means that they seemed to literally fall from the sky and beam people or items away.

This cave, it seemed, was at the center of the problem. Ever since the beaming-away began, certain items would get beamed into this cave… And never the ones that were taken away.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!

Vincent watched silently, not like he was ever really loud, as yet another lawnmower was beamed into the cave. _That puts the count at 37. _He thought.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT… ZNK!

_This is new._ Vincent thought with a raised eyebrow as someone fell through the portal. They were groaning- A good sign. Means they weren't dead.

"Where- Where am I?" The person asked, looking around in confusion as they pushed themselves up into a seated position.

Vincent considered, for a moment, leaving the person alone in the cave and waiting for another portal, but then his guilty conscience (which sounded suspiciously like Tifa) spoke up.

**_You know you have to go and help them._** She… It said.

Sighing, Vincent stood and went over to the man. It may not be in his usual nature to go over to some simpering person in the middle of a dark and creepy cave, but today he would make an exception.

Only because of Tifa...

* * *

_Over __Britain__... Someplace..._

_Time has come. Time has gone. Get up and run. Things are about to go wrong._

Lara raised her eyebrow, but shook her head. Lately she had been hearing whispered rhymes everywhere, but she had attributed them to the events of the last year. She finally began to relax when the plane suddenly jolted.

"What the-" Lara looked around suspiciously. Everything was calm.

_Cloud run pasts- A mission awaits. His courage lasts, but what is your fate?_

She leaned back and groaned, closing her eyes. "Go aw-"

REE REE REE REE REE- The planes sirens were screaming as the plane started jolting.

"Not again." Lara said between gritted teeth, pressing a small button on a small box attached to her belt. Small small small small small.

Grabbing a nearby nailed-down seat, she pulled herself to her feet. She stumbled, trying to get herself up to the cockpit as the air started growing thinner.

"What's going on?" Lara shouted as she pried the door open.

A gasp escaped her throat as she saw that in the pilot and copilot's seats were two masses of green-blue before they disappeared.

Lara inhaled sharply as she lunged forward, grabbing the controls. She leveled the plane as something landed on the nose of the plane… Right in front of the glass.

It was a man with long silver hair, bright eyes… And a katana.

He smirked, swiping at the plane.

Lara's shoulders tensed as he nodded at her. "What do you want?" She shouted at him as he shook his head. He leapt up, presumably onto the roof of the plane.

Several heart-stopping moments passed. Lara began to wonder what happened to the pilot and copilot when there was a cracking noise. The nose cracked and groaned, starting to fall off, as the plane lost control.

"Oh dear God in Heaven." Lara gasped. She fled the cockpit and made her way back to the cargo hold, reaching her motorcycle just as the cockpit was ripped off, a familiar flash of silver appearing near the roof of the cockpit.

She strapped her helmet and backpack on, then started her bike. The ceiling above her was sliced open as she revved her bike before speeding forward.

Lara was about to take the skydive of her life.

* * *

_The Manor..._

Zip paced in the tech room, obviously upset by Lara's behavior, as Trish served Winston tea while he reclined on one of the sofas near the fireplace.

"Here you go Winston. One cup of tea with lemon and honey and a sandwich." Trish said as Winston stared in horror at the turkey sandwich. The mention of Turkey had really gotten into her head...

"Trish… Why is it cut in the shape of a dinosaur?" Winston asked her as he lifted the sandwich from the too-small plate it sat on and inspected it. "And please tell me you put pickles on this and not rotten cucumbers." _I hate pickles... So I don't buy them! We don't have pickles! What did she put on this?_

The Texas native rubbed the back of her neck, a blush creeping across her freckle-covered cheekbones while she chuckled nervously. "Well, I thought that… Since I know what my sister-in-law does when her son's feel sick, and that's shaping sandwiches into dinosaurs, I thought I'd do the same for you, because that's what everyone does when someone they care about is sick." She said with a nod, placing her hands on her slender hips. "And yes, those are pickles."

Unnerved, he spoke again. "So… You see me as your son? You must have gotten conked over the head pretty bad the last time you went tomb raiding." Winston said with a chiding shake of his head. To keep Trish from glaring and yelling, he grabbed his tea and took a long, innocent drink. "Mm it's… PLECK!" He spit it into his handkerchief and spent a few moments looking really pained. "Nice… Mostly… Until you swallow…"

Trish stared at him incredulously. "What's that mean?" She asked him, dumbfounded. "I can make tea- All it takes is warming the bottle up."

Zip and Winston stared at Trish in horror.

"I'm kidding." Trish said flatly.

"Oh praise the heavens." Winston breathed.

"I was worried I'd have to call for an ambulance." Zip muttered. "And it means that you can't cook worth beans!" He shouted at her.

"Good one!" Winston said while chuckling.

While Trish was glaring at the back of Zip's head, mouthing his words back at him, Winston quickly chucked the tea in his cup and his sandwich into the blazing fireplace, horrified when the flames leapt higher.

"Goodness, a draft must've come down the chimney." Trish said, looking towards the fireplace.

Winston slyly placed his kerchief over the plate where the sandwich should be while Trish looked at his teacup.

"Oh, you're out of tea. Let me refill it." She said, grabbing the teapot.

BEEP BEEP.

Zip stopped, confused, and mouthed, "Beep beep?" Shaking his head, he went over to one of his computers and took a look at the results.

"Oh no," he said. "Trish! Something's wrong with Lara! She just triggered the emergency beacon!" He shouted as he began trying to contact Lara.

Trish swore as she spilled hot tea on her hand as Winston sat up, growing pale.

_Thank God I didn't have to live through another drink of that tea._ He thought, watching the tea eat a hole in the finish on the table in seconds. What had Trish put in that tea? She really couldn't cook worth beans... Probably couldn't cook beans either...

"Where is she?" Trish asked, shaking the tea off her hand as she went into the tech room to look over Zip's shoulder.

"En route…" Zip said, his hands flying over the keyboard.

"What would Lara do if she were in your shoes?" Trish asked him as she looked at the monitor.

Zip frowned. "Call a chopper, but Winston-"

Trish groaned and finished the sentence with him. "-Is our only pilot."

"Not anymore."

Zip and Trish looked at Winston, who stood in the doorway.

"I have a young friend who can fly out there." Winston explained as Zip looked at Trish.

"And you're the only one who can get anywhere close to Lara's spirit for adventure." Zip said as Trish nodded.

"I'll get my stuff." Trish said, running off.

"Winston, call your friend." Zip said as he returned to the computers. "I'm going to keep trying to find out what's happening."

He had no idea what was going on.

* * *

_Airstrip..._

The phone of Winston's pilot friend rang in a seemingly empty hangar before a man wiped his hands and answered the phone. "Hello?"

_"Mr. Judas. I, ah, need your help." _Winston's voice wobbled as he spoke up. _"My employer, who's like a daughter, is in trouble and I need you to fly out to a location and see if she is all right."_

"Of course, Winston. I have owed you for some time now. What's the address?" The man asked, pulling on a pair of gloves.

_"There is one other small favor I must ask."_ Winston said. _"Would you mind picking a friend up here, at the manor, and bringing them along? They would be very helpful and would have the location."_

"Not a problem." He said as he looked at his helicopter. Tip-top shape. "How soon do you need me over there?"

_"Um, now."_ Winston said meekly.

"I'll be there." The man said, hanging up. He grabbed a bag and brought them over to the helicopter, storing the items in a chest under a row of seats before climbing in and firing it up.

Oh... Boy...

* * *

_Somewhere between Heaven and Hell... Seriously..._

Lara muttered curses as she ripped her helmet off and let it fall. She held onto the bike with one hand as she pressed her com with the other. "ZIP!" She shouted.

"Lara?" Zip shouted back. "What's that noise?"

"The air as I fall through it! Tell me that this backpack has as parachute in it!" Lara shouted.

"Yes!" Zip shouted back. "Lara, what happened to the plane?"

"I'll call back when I'm on the ground!" Lara shouted, going offline and exhaling.

With a quickly added prayer, she dove off her bike.

She spread her limbs to slow her fall as the plane fell towards the barren countryside. Lara pulled a cord on her backpack and the parachute was released. The contents of the pack went flying everywhere, the tea tray included.

As the plane crashed some distance away from her, the explosion limited since it had landed in a reservoir, Lara struggled to keep the parachute from twisting its lines and driving her into a pond or towards the flames.

Finally, Lara reached the ground and jerked her backpack off.

_Great. I'm in the middle of the countryside without my bike and I've lost Winston's tea tray. _Lara thought before looking around. _I better not stay here. _With that, she took off at a sprint away from the crash sight. She did not want to meet up with the silver-haired man again.

* * *

_On A Grassy Knoll..._

From a nearby grassy knoll, Sephiroth watched Lara flee the scene of the crash, looking over her shoulder only once at the burning wreckage before running into a grove of trees.

Sephiroth chuckled. "The hunt is on," he said. Seconds later, he lept into the air.

A serious, complicated game of cat-and-mouse had begun.

* * *

_The Manor..._

Complete and utter chaos ruled at the manor as Zip shouted orders at Trish and Winston, Winston tried to comply with those orders but his back kept him from doing so, and Trish attempted to do Winston's work for him while following her own orders before the beating of helicopter blades stopped them.

They all listened, entranced by the hypnotic beat, as Zip turned to Trish.

"Go!" He shouted. "That's your ride!" He yelled as she grabbed her backpack, kissed Winston on the cheek, and ran for the stairs to the second floor. The rooftop helicopter pad was where she was heading when she fell face-first into the stairs after tripping over her bootlace.

Winston face-palmed as Trish groaned while standing. "I feel like today is going to be very long and painful." She said, cracking multiple joints. Inhaling, she sprinted away, only stumbling over one of the rugs on her way out.

Zip watched Trish go through a doorway before going into the living room.

"What are you doing?" Winston asked him.

"Checking a theory." Zip said bluntly as he grabbed Trish's blindingly orange leather jacket and rummaged through the pockets. "And… Ah-hah!" He withdrew his hand. "One strange Trish necklace… Oh crap." He stared at the thing as it glowed. "Why is it glowing?"

Before Winston could guess, the light dimmed and then died.

_He is here…_ Something whispered and the two men looked around in alarm as they heard ethereal laughter.

"Oh boy. Something tells me we are about to be thrown headfirst into trouble." Zip said as Winston nodded, keeping something to himself.

Secrets. Lots of them. Yikes.

* * *

_Gah... I hate it when it takes me forever to come up with ideas. I hope you enjoyed the chapter though. :) Review if you want to, but flamers will be ignored._


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I own the OC's, including Trish, and the story. That's it. Judas, on the other hand, I do not own, because he is a character that is using an alias. So, no, he is not an OC._

_Author's Note: Gah, it takes me so freakin' long to update. Some days I hate myself. Enjoy this update while I try and get back into the writing game. ^_^ Due to fact that I merged two sections I had together, I cut out Kurtis' arrival from this chapter. He, Cloud, and a whole other myriad of characters should be arriving in the next few chapters._

* * *

Tifa knew that he was there before he appeared.

Marlene's shout only confirmed her thoughts as she tried to make herself look busy, cleaning glasses and pouring drinks.

That is, until she saw that a man was draped over Vincent's shoulder.

"Vincent!" She gasped, putting one hand on the bar and vaulting over, her feet barely making a sound as they touched the ground. "What happened? Is he hurt?" She asked as he put the man on his feet, the man leaning heavily on Vincent.

"No, just weak." Vincent said quietly, looking around the bar. "Can we… Take him upstairs?"

Tifa nodded, turning to Marlene. "Marlene, make sure the bed in the guest room is made."

"Right," Marlene said with a nod, scampering ahead of the three adults as Tifa and Vincent helped the man upstairs.

"Did he say who he was or where he came from?" Tifa asked Vincent, not questioning where he had been since she knew where he had gone, as they reached the room.

Vincent shook his head. "No, he didn't," he said in his dry-yet-smooth voice, helping Tifa lower the man onto the bed.

As Tifa moved to stand up, the man grabbed onto her arm in a surprising show of not only alertness, but also speed and strength.

"Please…" He rasped as she struggled to free herself. "You must… Warn them… Help them… Save them… Karel… He's free… And he's got… Sephi's help."

Vincent reached out and pried the man's hand off of Tifa, the bartender stumbling back as Marlene gasped from the doorway.

"Marlene, call Cloud." Tifa ordered the girl, not turning around. She didn't want the little girl to see her fear.

"But Cloud's not been answering his phone." Marlene protested as Tifa heard Denzel join her.

"Whoa, is he okay?" He asked the adults as they turned and looked at them.

"Denzel, take Marlene with you and call Cloud." Tifa ordered, her eyes growing hard. "Now." She added with a stern, motherly tone when the two looked ready to protest.

"Okay…" Came the twin sounds of defeat, the children leaving Tifa and Vincent alone.

Tifa waited until she heard them close the door to Denzel's room before closing the door to the guest room and facing Vincent.

She didn't even realize how violently she was shaking until Vincent put his gauntlet-covered hand on her shoulder.

"Oh, Vincent!" She whispered, throwing herself against him.

Vincent was startled as she began to cry softly, his mind whirling as he tried to figure out what social- hell, human- protocol was in that situation.

Finally, he wrapped his arms around her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, the scent of her fruity shampoo all but overwhelming him. "There, there, Tifa. It's going to be all right. He's probably just delirious." He said, though they both knew better.

"He said "Sephi"," she whispered, her nails digging into his shirt. "As in Sephiroth, Vincent," she said, looking up at him.

Vincent's red eyes were full of sadness… And a twinge of anger. The last time they had seen Sephiroth, the children had been sick.

Neither of them wanted to face that danger again.

"I'll take care of this, Tifa. I promise you." Was what he wanted to say before kissing her fears away. He wanted to hold her until all the danger in the world was gone and she was happy again. And he never, ever, wanted to see her cry because of Sephiroth and all that garbage again.

He hated to see her cry.

"How? It's just the... The two of us..." She said, looking at her hands, still pressed against his chest.

He wished he could prove to her that the man was wrong and then kiss her fears away.

Instead, he just nodded. "I know, Tifa. I know. But he's been defeated twice before. We can win a third time."

"And the fourth? Fifth? Vincent I have a son now. I can't fight the same way I used to. Or what about Yuffie? She's wanted by the law now." That was a news flash to Vincent. "Barrett? He's working too hard to give Marlene a bright future. Cloud's always gone, Red's virtually impossible to find, and Cid…" She shook her head. "Well, he's the only one who hasn't changed."

Vincent's heart felt heavy. She had a point- their old allies had moved on with their lives. All but Cid, of course.

And Vincent.

Sure, he still stepped in and saved the day when Cloud couldn't be found, but some days he wished he didn't have to.

No, instead he wished that he could stay there, with Tifa.

Forever.

Realizing that he was still holding onto Tifa, watching her, and she was watching him back, he let her go and stepped back, putting some space between the two of them.

"I will find some of the others and speak with them. In the mean time, keep a close eye on him. If he tries anything, just throw him out." Vincent said, his red eyes boring into hers.

Tifa nodded, steeling herself. She couldn't let her emotions take control like that again.

_Not now, especially._

"In the meantime…" Tifa looked at the stranger again. "I'll try and figure out who the man downstairs is and why he's looking for Cloud."

Vincent frowned. "What man?" He asked her, dragging her attention back to him with one light touch of his hand against her shoulder.

Tifa cocked her head. "Some guy downstairs was asking for Cloud. I said he could…" She trailed off as Vincent ran past her out of the room and downstairs. "Hey! Vincent, what's going on?" She called, going after him.

She quickly returned to shut the door to the guest room before resuming her chase.

Vincent ran downstairs, startling several customers as he rushed through the bar towards a table at the back. Somehow, he _knew_.

"Vincent!" Tifa called, jogging after him. "Sorry, nothing major. Please, ignore us." She told her customers before approaching him, hissing, "just what do you think you are doing?"

Vincent picked up a note off of one of the tables, reading it as he turned to face her. He then held it out to Tifa.

She took it with a shaking hand, afraid of what was written there. She relaxed, a little, when she read the confusing note.

_Tifa-_

_After seeing who you had for company, I decided it was best that I find Cloud and speak with him immediately. Lazing around waiting for him will be pointless._

_See you in London._

_Genesis_

""London"? What's London?" Tifa asked Vincent, looking up at him.

He frowned. "I don't know, Tifa, but I have a bad feeling we're about to find out."

* * *

Trish reached the roof moments later, the helicopter resting on the landing pad already. Reaching the door, she pulled it open and climbed in, jerking it shut behind her.

After putting her backpack in a bin, she climbed into the cockpit with the pilot.

_Where are those headphone-things…?_ Trish thought as she strapped herself in and looked for the headset, needing to explain some things to the pilot.

He handed her a headset before taking off, Trish flashing an unnoticed grin at him.

She mumbled to herself that males are the most ignorant beings on the planet before she pulled the headset on. She listed Lara's last known coordinates as she studied the pilot. "We'd better hurry." She added, not sure if he knew just how serious the situation was.

He nodded and she rolled her eyes. _Silent much?_ She thought, looking out the window.

After a while, he spoke up. "ETA 15 minutes." He told her, glancing at her stiff form.

Trish nodded, still looking out the window.

"So, Winston forgot to mention your name." Trish said, making conversation.

"Did he now? Well, now that I think about it, he didn't mention yours either." The pilot said with a smile in his voice.

Trish nodded and waited for him to introduce himself. When he didn't, she spoke again. "I'm Trish Saes."

"It's nice to make your acquaintance, Miss Saes. Or is it Mrs. Saes?" He asked her, still avoiding his name.

Trish raised her eyebrows. "It's just Trish." She said, avoiding the "Miss or Mrs." question.

The pilot nodded and Trish rolled her eyes, returning her gaze to the landscape once more.

"There." Trish said, pointing at the field that obviously had been ravaged by something.

The pilot steered the helicopter to a nearby hilltop overlooking the wreckage, obviously wary of the scene.

Trish was at the door the moment the helicopter touched down, wrenching it open with determination.

Leaping out, she started down the hill, her focus on the flaming remains of Lara's motorcycle.

When she got within arms-length of the flames, Trish began shouting.

"Lara? Lara!" She shouted, looking around for any sign of her friend. She picked her way across the scene as the plane's tail slowly inched its way from sight, sinking into the reservoir. "Zip," Trish spoke into her earpiece. "Do you have satellite imagery from the final moments of the flight yet?"

"_Nope. I've been trying ever since you left, but the only satellite that was in range at the time has the tightest security I have ever seen."_ Zip explained. _"Why, something up?"_

Trish sighed. "Zip, I'm staring at a sinking cargo plane. If there's any chance there's evidence of what caused the crash, I'm going in there." Trish warned. Looking around, she spotted a shepherd shooing a few sheep away. "Hold on."

"_What?"_

"Shepherd." Trish growled, starting after the man.

"_Who?"_

Trish ignored Zip as she dashed up a hill after the man.

Reaching the lone road nearby, she followed the man across to a fence, where he secured himself on the other side. As if it would deter her, he locked the gate as well.

"Sir, I need to speak with you about the crash." Trish said, stopping while still in the road. _Great! Too bad I didn't join the CIA like my brother suggested. _She thought, suddenly wishing she had a badge right now. _Though, since I'm not state-side, I doubt it would change anything about the situation right now._

"Go away. I didn't see a thing!" The man said, waving his hand angrily.

"Will you speak to me if I pay you?" Trish asked him, having played this game before.

The man looked at her suspiciously. "How much?"

Trish sighed. "I work for Lady Lara Croft. I'll make sure you're awarded handsomely for anything you tell me."

The man hesitated, still contemplating her words.

"I'll swear on a stack of Bibles if you want. Please, just help me out here." Trish begged, crossing her arms. It was times like this that she felt strangely vulnerable.

"Fine." The man said. "What's your name first?" He questioned.

"Trish Saes. Yours?"

"Burt Donnen. I saw the crash happen, ya' know." He told her.

"Really?" That was a surprise. "Care to start from the beginning then?"

Burt nodded. "I was out tending to my sheep, when all of the sudden I heard this terrible noise. It was a roar, like a high-powered fan, just… Louder. Suddenly the plane popped out of the clouds and fell into the reservoir. Scared Bobbie silly."

"Bobbie?" Trish raised an eyebrow. "Was there someone else here with you?"

"No, just my sheepdog." He said, whistling for the dog. Seconds later a black and white border collie was at the man's side. "Say hello, Bobbie."

The dog barked in greeting and Trish grinned, thinking about her own dog at home.

"Beautiful dog. So, the plane crashed. Did you see any signs of survivors?" Trish asked, looking around casually.

"Oh yeah, a woman landed in that field over there with a parachute." Burt said, pointing.

Trish looked that way and saw the pilot poking around there. "Great. Thanks for the help Burt." She said, smiling at him. "Uh, give me your mail info and I'll have a check sent your way."

Burt gave her the info and thanked her profusely before she left, running for the field.

She was praying for a miracle at this point.

* * *

Lara had never been a big believer in prayer, but she was beginning to believe in it even more so since she survived the crash.

_Dear God, get me through this awful day. _Lara prayed as she hiked.

"This is becoming a regular occurrence for me." Lara grumbled, fighting her way through a grove of trees.

Somehow she had managed to lose her earpiece during the fall, her GPS unit as well, and she had smashed the emergency beacon accidentally on landing, so she was on her own for a while.

To make matters worse, she knew she was being followed.

Still, she trudged forward, the grove of trees giving away to a swampy forest.

"Great," Lara groused, wanting nothing more than a warm bath, a change of clothes, and a meal whipped up by Zip.

One more step forward put her knee-deep in cold swamp water, and nearby a snake slithered across the surface of the water.

Shuddering, she put her other foot down in the water, forcing herself forward.

_Hopefully my pursuer is not the man from the plane, or even if it is, he's too squeamish to follow me in here._

If it had been any other man but Sephiroth, she would've been right. Unfortunately, it was Sephiroth, so she was out of luck.

She continued wading into the water, thinking about the crash in order to not think about the water… And the snake.

_Oh, if I could I would be at home with a glass of cognac, one of those deep-dish pizzas Zip makes, with lots of mushrooms, and a foot rub from an attractive…_

She stopped, her thoughts not on the snake or anything else.

Kurtis.

"Blast. Exactly what I didn't want to think about," she muttered, wading along.

Their break up had occurred a few months ago, having occurred because they couldn't tolerate the other one's opinions about what they did.

Trish, having dated several guys who were monster hunters, police officers, vampires, and spies, tried to act as a mediator during their in-manor fights, but after the third time she had ended up drunk in a corner mumbling that she hated them both, she gave up.

Zip then took a crack at it. He read as many articles he could find online and as many books as he dared buy- quickly learning to order them online after he flirted with a woman in a bookstore who was horrified to see a book on mending relationships under his arm. Zip quickly learned why he was meant to be a computer extraordinaire and chef rather than a relationship therapist: He just didn't do "feelings" conversations.

Winston just kept giving them wine and snacks, which would briefly interrupt their meals while Kurtis ate finger sandwiches or Lara nibbled on ladyfinger cookies.

And then there was Alister.

Sweat, meek Alister finally said what neither of them wanted to:

"If you two love each other so much, but hate to worry about each other, why don't you try being apart for a while and see if that changes anything?"

They, for the first time in a long time, agreed that it was a good idea, and called it quits.

And that had been the last she had heard from him.

"God, I miss him so much right now." Lara muttered. "I'd take him back in a heartbeat if it meant never being in this stupid swamp ever again."

* * *

"Mr. Judas", as the pilot was known by, studied the parachute as he waited for Trish to join him. She, and her employer, were certainly… Unique.

"You found it." Trish breathed, appearing next to him.

"What did the shepherd have to say?" He asked her at he knelt to move the parachute around. It was in good condition; no holes, scorch marks, or anything else to hint at a rough landing for Lara Croft.

"Nothing that really matters right now." Trish said, grabbing the parachute in her hands. "Where could she have gone?" Trish mused.

"_Trish!" _Even Judas could hear the shouted voice in Trish's earpiece. _"We've got a problem!"_

"Tell me about it, Zip," Trish said as she tugged lightly on her ear, her sparkling earrings that were in the shapes of tiny red and yellow dragons in stark contrast with her serious outfit... Well, save for her tattoos of various colors.

And the hot pink tank top she wore.

_The woman must not know the meaning of camouflage. _Judas thought. He then frowned to himself. Why he was noticing her earrings, or anything else about her, he did not know.

He stood from where he had knelt and looked around, studying the landscape.

Before she even said anything, he knew something was off.

Someone was watching them.

* * *

"_What's wrong, Zip?"_ Trish asked over the earpiece as Zip practically pulled his hair out over the situation at hand.

"You've got three copters and a lot of armored vehicles heading your way." He said, explaining only half of the situation.

"_What?"_ Trish gasped. _"ETA?"_

"You've got ten minutes, Trish. Get the hell out of there!" Zip said, pacing as Winston sat nearby, watching him with concern. "Also your necklace was glowing and from what I can tell there is some really, really rich company behind this. Like, so rich the satellite I'm using is having to get out of the way because they moved it and are getting theirs into place."

_"Sheesh. You'd think there was gold..." _Trish trailed off. _"Right. Deal with that Zip. I can't."_

"I know that, Trish!" Zip said in exasperation. "Just... Be careful. And don't do one of your stupid stunts, okay?"

_"Eh..." _Was Trish's parting word.

* * *

Trish twisted part of her mic, shutting it off, as she started down the hill towards the plane wreckage.

"Trish, where are you going?" The pilot asked, following her.

"Get to the chopper and fire it up. We're out of here in ten." Trish shouted, quickly approaching the water.

With a little more force than necessary, Trish leapt forward, arcing into a graceful dive as she dove into the water.

If there was one thing Trish did not fear, it was dark, underwater places. She had spent some time working near the Great Barrier Reef some time ago, not long after she met Lara, and found that underwater scenes such as this one were the best kind to be dealing with when danger was imminent. Lara had then, later, taken her to an under water shipwreck- the wreck of the Maria Doria, actually.

_Now if only I could over my fear of the dark out of the water. _Trish thought wryly as she swam.

Though it wasn't very bright underwater, Trish could see the plane just fine, and after surfacing for a refill of air, she dove again.

It didn't take her long to find where the most damage had occurred- the seam between the cockpit and the cargo hold- and she didn't like what she saw.

With her earpiece camera recording, Trish pulled herself further into the wreckage, searching for any clues as to what took the plane down.

Though greatly damaged, the plane still told enough of a story as Trish swam through the interior towards the back of the plane.

Obviously something had cut through the seam behind her. The question was, what? She had seen a lot of high-tech weaponry in her time, but this was… Different.

It was too perfect. Like origami, no frays or anything.

Reaching the back of the plane, she pushed a loose seat out of the way before her fingertips brushed against a section of the body.

Looking around, Trish spotted a long, thin segment of metal.

Snatching it up, she used it as a pry bar to remove the panel on the wall.

The object underneath she wrenched free with a little difficulty and, with just enough oxygen left, began swimming out of the wreckage.

Trish stayed underwater until she reached the shore. She then stood up, the black box under her arm.

And froze.

"Oh," Trish said, staring at the armed men combing the land around the crash sight. "Her" helicopter was nowhere in sight; instead, one with a bright insignia was there. _Definitely not mine! _She thought. "This day just keeps getting better."

* * *

_Well, that was… Long. Hey, it's been a while. How've you been? I hope you enjoyed the update- and I hate myself, I have to admit. Why can't I update more often? Ah well, not the time for depressed, brooding thoughts. I have more updates to write._

_For all of you who have not played Tomb Raider II: The wreck of the Maria Doria is a sunken ships that Lara is on for several levels. It's a really cool part of the game. Certainly on my top ten list of fav levels. ^_^_

_Review please. If you made it to the end, you might as well tell me what you thought. ;)_


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I own the OC's and that's it. The same old same old, folks._

_A/N: Yes, I am very sorry for the wait. The usual- school and the like- kept me away from here. :( Ah, well… Enjoy this [largely] FFVII chapter. :D_

* * *

A storm was slowly rolling over Edge as Cloud pulled up at Seventh Heaven. He'd had another "fun" round of deliveries that had, inevitably, ended up with him fighting his way out of a trap.

He had absolutely no idea what they were after, and, quite frankly, he didn't care at all. Lately nothing was right and he was sick of it.

With that in mind, he entered the bar with a groan, running a hand over his hair.

Instantly, he realized something was wrong.

_Tifa's not behind the bar. The kids aren't running around. And those patrons over there look pretty sober. _Cloud thought, standing in the doorway.

In other words: Something was very, very wrong.

"Hey, Cloud? You know where Tifa is?" one of the men, a regular, asked him as he stepped further into the bar. "She went upstairs a while ago and hasn't appeared since."

"Did something happen?" Cloud asked as he heard the sound of Marlene running down the stairs.

"Cloud!" On cue, Marlene appeared. "Vincent found a man and brought him here and he mentioned Seph-"

"Sssh!" Denzel hissed, appearing a little too late. "Don't say it that loud."

Marlene, wide-eyed, looked around the bar as it drew quiet. Everyone wanted to know if she had meant _the _Sephiroth.

"…tic problems." The smart little girl played it cool. "Someone poisoned the water." She added after a moment. "Don't drink it."

One man spit out the water he was drinking as Tifa appeared finally. Several more dropped their drinks.

The bar was empty in seconds.

"That worked well. _Too _well." Tifa said as she patted Marlene on the shoulder. "I just pray everyone goes home and focuses more on their health than the health standards here."

Cloud nodded, and then spoke. "Was Marlene telling the truth about the man Vincent found?"

Tifa sighed, looking at the kids. They smiled innocently up at her, and Cloud knew that there wasn't much of a point in keeping the story from them. They already seemed to know more than Tifa expected.

"…I think you better see for yourself." Tifa muttered after a moment.

Cloud raised one blond eyebrow. That didn't sound too good, in his opinion.

* * *

"So he hasn't said anything since?" Cloud asked, looking at the stranger through the barely-ajar doorway.

"Not a word." Tifa confirmed as Cloud pulled the door shut.

He turned around and looked at Tifa, first, and then Vincent. The stoic man seemed more somber than usual.

"What are the odds that it was a coincidence? Sephiroth can't be the only one with that name." Cloud suggested, hoping against hope that that was the case.

By the look in Vincent's eyes, he knew that the odds were very, very, very slim.

The three adults said nothing as Marlene and Denzel watched them from nearby.

"We should ask around; see if anyone knows him." Tifa said. "It's not like he just fell from the sky…"

Vincent grimaced, a look that Cloud caught.

"Where did he come from, Vincent?" Cloud asked, going straight to the point.

The mysterious man gave Cloud a look that screamed he could guess from where, but Cloud wasn't about to guess. Not if Sephiroth really was involved.

Tifa turned and looked at Vincent, whose gaze flickered towards her before looking away.

"Vincent?" she asked him gently.

"Maybe you should ask him."

Tifa and Cloud looked at Marlene in surprise as Denzel, from his spot next to her, smiled sheepishly at the adults.

"He's awake." Marlene added after a moment.

Tifa looked at the door on the other side of them, wondering just how Marlene knew that since she hadn't been anywhere near the man since they'd placed him in the room.

Vincent was about to take control of the situation when Cloud stepped forward and opened the door, surprising the man. He had been in the process of walking, slowly, to the door.

He looked from each of the adult's faces, looking rather nervous. "Ah… Right… Hello…" he said, raising his hand in a friendly gesture. "I take it you're the ones who found me."

Cloud looked at Vincent, who somberly nodded.

There was a moment of awkward silence as the adults just stood there, not sure what to say or do. The kids were even quiet, staring in wondrous anticipation.

Finally, the stranger cleared his throat. "Ah, I need to reach a phone. It's urgent. I must warn someone of an impending danger."

Cloud, Tifa, and Vincent exchanged looks before Tifa spoke up. "Maybe you should tell us. If it involves Sephiroth, we kinda are experts at knowing who to contact."

The man's brown eyes grew wide, stunned silent.

The silence in the bar started again as everyone was unsure what to say.

Finally, it was the wisdom of children that presented a solution.

"Maybe he wants something to eat and drink." Marlene suggested.

Tifa smiled at the young girl as Cloud and Vincent exchanged confused looks.

"Yes, that would be lovely." The man sighed.

"All right. Are you strong enough to walk downstairs, Mr.…?" Tifa looked at him again, hoping they could learn his name.

"Alister Fletcher."

* * *

Anaya Imanu wasn't one for surprise visits, but she couldn't pass up the opportunity, when she was already only forty minutes away, to visit her friends at Croft Manor and drop off Winston's birthday present.

She knew that the novelty lamp, shaped like a dragon, was something that he had wanted for quite some time.

As she pulled up to the gates of Croft Manor, though, she noticed that Lara's bike was absent from the front drive. Her friend wasn't a big fan of parking in the garage unless it was absolutely necessary.

She was disappointed that Lara might not be there, but she wouldn't mind visiting the others.

_Winston, Trish, Zip…_

Her thoughts stopped there as a blush spread across her cheeks.

_Get a hold of yourself, Anaya! _She scolded as the gates rattled open. _You're here to see friends and to give Winston his birthday gift, nothing more. It doesn't matter if Zip has been keeping in touch with you via the web for the last eight months._

Though, as she pulled into the circular drive in front of the manor, she did have to admit to herself that she was there to see Zip as well.

Her feelings for the tech had, during their correspondences, grown. Now, she wanted to know if he felt the same way.

_I'm not leaving here without an answer. _She determined as Winston appeared at the front door.

* * *

After being served a tall glass of water- the young woman named Tifa left him the pitcher so that he could refill his glass as he needed- and a sandwich, Alister finally took a moment to study his surroundings.

He was in a bar. He knew that much. And in a city too. The questions that still remained, though, included, "What bar, and in which city?"

_Also, how did I get here? _He wondered.

The three adults stayed in a corner of the bar, whispering to each other. Well, Tifa whispered mostly while Cloud mumbled. Vincent, on the other hand, kept scanning the bar with a wary eye and giving him a look that implied, "I'm watching you."

_And why are they so suspicious of me? Does it have something to do with Sephiroth, or what I was warned about? _Alister also wondered as he ate his sandwich.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see the kids spying on him from another part of the bar. Evidently, they didn't get many strangers of his kind there.

The adults stopped whispering after a little while and he began to feel better, so he felt that it was finally time to explain his situation… And make his phone call.

"I'm not sure really where to begin…" He said, catching the adult's attention. They quickly joined him at his table, Tifa taking a seat while the men chose to stand.

"How about at the part involving Sephiroth." Cloud said seriously.

Tifa nodded her approval at that.

Alister hesitated. "Erm, all right… I suppose that's as good a place as any." He paused to compile his thoughts before continuing. "Sixteen days ago he just showed up at my work place and insisted on getting my employer's help. Said that it was an utmost serious situation and that only they could help. Well, they said no- they're incredibly at this time of year."

"Want was the situation?" Vincent asked, startling Alister.

"Ahm…" Alister adjusted his glasses. "He didn't elaborate much. Just that he needed an artifact in order to stops rifts in the fabric of time."

"The… What?" Tifa asked.

"Basically, there's a hole in time that's breaking all the rules." Alister explained quickly. "I did my research on the situation and found that he was right, so I offered my help instead. We had to find a special artifact in order to seal up these holes, only it wasn't so easy to find. It took quite some time to find it, and after we did…" Alister stopped, angry by this point. "He betrayed me. Showed his true colors."

Cloud shifted where he stood, and Alister was curious how he wasn't tired after carrying his large sword around with him. "I'm not surprised. Sephiroth wasn't… Isn't known for his loyalty."

"So you've dealt with him before?" Alister asked them, hopeful that he had found the help he was looking for.

The three adults exchanged looks. Well, Vincent didn't exchange his expression. More of, his eyes flickered to Tifa's before going back to watching Alister. "Yes." He confirmed.

"Oh thank God." Alister exhaled. "After what that woman told me, I was so worried-"

"What woman?" Cloud interrupted with.

Alister paused, thinking about the woman he had encountered. "I'm not even really sure who she was. She was cheerful, though, and had her hair in braids. And she was wearing pink." He added after a moment.

The silence that followed that final remark was stifling.

"You mean, you've seen her before?" Alister asked, looking at the people before him, surprised. That was the only logical explanation for their response.

Tifa looked at Vincent, the concern on her face evident, before she turned and looked at Cloud.

Vincent nodded. "Yes, but…" he hesitated and Tifa and Cloud could instantly finish what he was thinking.

"…it's difficult to explain." Cloud said, turning away as Alister's heart rate picked up.

The mood in the bar grew tense and fearful at that point.

"Oh." Alister said, fidgeting nervously. "Um… If I may ask, what is her name?"

Cloud rubbed the back of his neck as Vincent spoke up.

"Aerith."

Alister quirked an eyebrow at the name. He'd heard it before…

"What did she tell you?" Cloud asked the question that was everyone's minds.

That was where Alister really hesitated. He wasn't sure if he could trust these people, even if they were seemingly nice and knew about Sephiroth and Aerith.

He'd trusted too much lately to have faith in random strangers.

"It's okay," Marlene piped up nearby. "You can trust us."

The adults looked at her smiling face and Alister sighed. He supposed that, since he still wasn't sure what was going on, he could trust them…

…And he would just leave out the parts that weren't all that helpful to the situation.

"All right. You won't believe me, but I'll tell you."

* * *

_Still going strong. I just need to update more often than I have been. I've got plans for the future chapters. I just have to get from there to here. ;)_

_For those of you who caught the reference during the Alister explaining he'd seen Aerith scene- yes, this Alister has __brown__ eyes. I do know that his eyes were a bright blue-green in Underworld. This is an important bit of data to keep in mind._

_Flamers- my secretary will take your flames once they get back to the office. Currently I have no idea where they are, but I checked the air ducts twice and they aren't in there. O.O If you've seen them, let me know._


End file.
